Age of Lies
by Isis Lied
Summary: AU Three-thousand years of fighting. That was how long the two kingdoms, one born of matter (Assiah) and the other of nothingness (Gehenna), had been at war. To save their people, both sides ratify a treaty. But, demons and humans alike have their reasons to want the treaty to fail and the group tasked with beginning the 'coexistence phase' may have more to fear than each other.
1. Chapter 1- Chosen

Age of Lies  
AU Three-thousand years of fighting. That was how long the two kingdoms, one born of matter (Assiah) and the other of nothingness (Gehenna), had been at war. In a last ditch effort to save their people, both sides ratify a treaty. But, demons and humans alike have their reasons to want the treaty to fail and the group tasked with beginning the 'coexistence phase' may have more to fear than each other.

Genre: Action, Horror, Drama, Romance, and a dash of Humor.

A/N: I don't have much to say other than that this is an AU set in a land where there is no border between Assiah and Gehenna and all humans can see demons. Oh, and expect demon!Yukio :P hopefully, this story turns out well, but we'll see XD

Disclaimer: Yah... I definitely don't own Blue Exorcist.

Chapter 1- Chosen

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Fidgeting in the group of people at the square, a young blonde felt herself jostled by the crowd, tumbling forward onto the cobble-stoned ground with a cry. But no one stopped to help her; not that she was expecting help. It was the day the village would find who the 'Chosen' were. More were too busy sayings their potentially final goodbyes and rushing off to finish whatever business they did not want left undone.

Hobbling to her feet, the woman realized with dismay that her pink kimono's sleeve had been torn from the fall. Brushing off bits of dust and dirt, she smoothed the fabric, wondering faintly if she would be called for 'coexistence.'

Due to her sheltered and unusual upbringing, it didn't really bother her one way or another. She had heard her fair share of stories about the demons of Gehenna, how they were creatures born without a conscience whose only goal was to kill and destroy. But Shiemi Moriyama wasn't so sure. Her familiar, Nee-chan, a gentle adolescent greenman had never once tried to attack her. Still, she wasn't naïve enough to think all demons were just as kind.

Before she could be wrapped up in thoughts of gentle demons (oh, how the village would laugh if they knew!), a man with silver hair walked onto the makeshift stage, the rotting wood groaning under his weight. He eyed the crowd silently, silver-rimmed glasses obscuring his crimson eyes.

Eventually, he spoke, "Form a line!" He said gruffly, looking as if just standing there was making him sick. And it very well could be; the village had been struck with a plague of miasma over three decades ago, but even now, there were still traces of its horrible purple haze.

Obediently, the crowd formed a line as Shiemi was swept off further away from the stage. She found herself near the very back of the line, sandwiched between a woman with unusual purple hair and a boy with a single steak of blonde through his hair. A man with flamboyantly pink hair a few people behind them called out to the violet-haired woman, grinning widely.

"If I get picked, don't forget about me, Izumo-chan~!" He mock cried, losing his place in line to try to hug her.

"W-what are you doing?" She said, clearly annoyed by his antics. Pushing him away, she folded her arms indignantly.

"Hey, you two idiots, quit drawing attention to yourselves! Do you want to be picked?" The gruff-looking man finally spoke, trailing a nervous hand through his brown-blonde locks.

The pink-haired man waved apologetically, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, Bon!"

Shiemi kept her head bowed, a shyness creeping up in her. How she wished to have some friends; but being born a 'witches'' daughter had long since robbed her of that luxury. Technically, the correct term was 'tamer' but people barely knew the difference anymore. Born with the innate ability to channel the spirits of nothingness, she and her mother had been ostracized for their gifts. Now, both tried to lead quiet lives off in a forgotten shack in the surrounding forest, only going out for supplies and now, for the 'raffle' as some people called it.

Peering ahead, Shiemi could just make out the 'paladin,' the man credited for making the treaty. Rumor had it that at one point he had been a ruthless general with the highest recorded number of kills on the field. But now, for whatever reason, he stood as ambassador and peacekeeper (ironically enough), ushering in what would hopefully be a time of coexistence between the races.

Still, stories of his cruelty in battle remained and apparently, if one looked long enough in his crimson eyes, they'd see the souls of the demons he had killed. Needless to say, the rumors kept him safe from persecution, as he probably was the only man alive who could be a proponent for coexistence and not be ridiculed or threatened. Shiro Fujimoto's true goals for creating the treaty (surely it wasn't all for simply peace?) had been speculated, but no one knew his true agenda.

Shiemi was awakened from her haze of thoughts at the sight of the silver-haired man in front of her, a deep frown pressed firmly across his lips.

"Name." He said stoically, years of being on the front lines hardening his features.

"Ah, S-Shiemi Moriyama." She stuttered, emerald orbs wide with fear.

"Moriyama, is it? Aren't you and your mother tamers?"

She nodded dumbly, clutching at the fabric of her kimono. How many people who, after being stopped to tell their names, pointed to her, the 'demon lover' out of fear?

"Step out of the line, please." He finished, walking past her and towards the man behind her. Glumly, her eyes traveled down to her sandaled feet as she sighed, moving over obediently. Looking ahead, she was surprised to see the purple-haired girl had also been picked. She stood silently, glaring at the paladin's back. For a moment, Shiemi thought to say something but was too nervous to speak. Eventually, she returned her gaze to the ground, unable to look the crowd in the eye. She already heard the whispers.

"Look, the witch has been chosen!"

"I should have known I had nothing to fear! Only demon lovers would be picked for something like this!"

"Finally! I feel safer just having her out of the village."

The girl bit her lip. She was used to these sorts of taunts, but the words still stung. Apparently, tamers, while rare, had been a legitimate exorcist meister at one point, until a tamer got 'possessed' and ended up killing nearly all of his peers and destroyed the exorcist school. Ever since then, tamers had been equated to magicians and demon lovers and now kept themselves hidden.

"I'm training to be an exorcist! I can't be chosen!"

"M-me too! We're both training as exorcists! I'm going to be an aria while Bon is trying to get a meister in aria and dragoon!"

Looking towards the voices, Shiemi was surprised to see that their whole 'group' had been selected. Many thought that he would simply pick and choose the four randomly from the line, not call out four who were all standing together.

"Ryuuji Suguro, Renzou Shima, you've been picked for a _very _important task. One that could be humanity's salvation or its undoing. I expect you to take your goals more seriously. Now, come along, you four have much to learn."

And with that the group had been chosen. Two boys, two girls, to face four demons and hopefully, learn to coexist. Although, at this point, the group only wished to survive.

Trailing a bit behind the three, the blonde took one final glance at the crowd. She saw her mother with a sullen look on her face, the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. It was obvious that she thought her daughter was walking to her death.

Turning around, she followed as bravely as she could. She'd prove to the village she was more than just a witch; she'd come back a hero. With a renewed determination in her eyes, the blonde quickened her pace, catching up to the group.

She just caught up with the group when Shiro spoke, an eerie calmness settling into his voice. "I do have some… troubling news. At least for you four."

"What? Don't tell me the demons aren't even humanoid?" Bon questioned, a frown playing on his lips. He seemed as equally upset as being chosen as Shima. Izumo seemed almost untroubled by her new role, only upset that it inconvenienced whatever plans she had before.

"You'd probably actually prefer that. The demons you are to coexist with are not of the usual variant. They are all demon kings, meaning they are sons of Satan."

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On the opposite side of the land where there was only barren earth, layered in bleached bone on a backdrop of heavy hues of violet, there was a single, solitary castle. It loomed over the miasma-filled land, a great, heaving structure of ivory that reminded all demons of where their allegiance lied. In it, four demon kings bowed, remaining completely still.

A deep voice bellowed from within, blue flames rattling the tattered throne room with immense power. "My sons, it is time. Rin, my only son born with _my_ flames. Yukio, the war strategist who has helped us _slaughter _all those in Assiah. Amaimon, one of my _youngest_ sons with the power over earth. And Samael— or do you go by Mephisto Pheles now? No matter, my _prodigal_ son, you have time and space wrapped around your finger, yet you bide your time with petty tricks…"

The demon king with dark blue hair stopped bowing first, a look of anger in his cobalt eyes. But he did not speak, merely shuffled out of the room without a parting glance to his father. A weak-looking brown-haired boy followed after, calling for his twin. The purple-haired man chuckled, giving another almost mocking bow to his father before waltzing out the door. Finally, only the green-haired demon remained.

"Father... why did you pick us?" He asked, a coldness seeping into his words. It was obvious he did not want to be one of the 'chosen' demons.

"Do not question my decision, Amaimon. Out of my ten sons I picked you. It is an honor you should not forget." There was a darker undertone to his voice that promised much more than simply burning in blue flames. Unconsciously, Amaimon shivered, slithering away from his father.

The usually apathetic demon gave a great bow, fringe dipping over his eyes before he pushed open the black double-doors. "I understand. Goodbye, father."

With it, the demon followed his brothers out of the castle. It was time. Tomorrow, they'd reach the only shared land between the two races, which had been written in by the treaty. There, they would coexist for as long as necessary with the humans, as long as needed. They were to be the distraction as Satan, the true king of Gehenna made his final move.

Kicking a discarded skull, Amaimon called for his familiar. The hobgoblin known as Behemoth ran to him, allowing itself to then be put on a metal chain. It bounded in front of the group happily, gnawing on bones and the occasional demon carcass. Mephisto looked at him quizzically.

"You're bringing your familiar?"

"Behemoth really enjoys human flesh."

The twins looked at their half-brother with disgust as the violet-haired trickster chuckled, unable to contain his laughter.

Suddenly, his peridot eyes narrowed as he collected himself, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "My, my, what a naughty little brother I have."

They then continued to walk through the barren landscape in an uneasy silence.

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A/N: Expect betrayals, allegiances, unlikely friendships, and death as the story continues XD Loyalties will be tested, the truth of demons will be revealed, and, with any luck, the treaty will save the land!

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the prologue! Next time we'll see just how well the group gets along (or, at least, how they appear to get along in front of other people) and more plans will be revealed! Oh, and sorry for the shortness of the prologue; I promise longer chaps in the future!

_**Review?**_

-Isis


	2. Chapter 2- Reunion

Chapter 2- Reunion

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The home they were to stay in was well hidden, to say the least. Apparently, one of the demons they were to coexist with had turned what appeared to be a run-down shack into a mansion, accessed only by a finite number of golden keys. All four humans were given a key, and with it, a stern warning.

"Do not let these keys out of your sight. If anyone, demon or human could waltz in and out of the house that means they would also be able to kill you or the demons. Understand?" Shiro asked, showing that he too had a key hidden under his exorcist coat.

The four youths nodded, each taking their own keys and slipping them onto themselves. Shima kept his as a necklace, grinning widely at his own idea. Bon glowered, but did likewise, fastening the key on his own empty chain. Izumo simply clipped her key onto her hip, fastening it to her belt.

Shiemi, at a loss, summoned her familiar. The little greenman squeaked happily at its summoning, immediately setting off to work. It created an intricate pattern of wood that folded over the girl's wrist. She tugged at the bracelet, relieved to see it would not come off. Clipping the golden key just below one of the decorative circles, the greenman squeaked again, welding it to the wood. Small buds suddenly appeared on the bracelet, successfully hiding the key under a lilac blossom.

"Thank you, Nee-chan!" Shiemi grinned, patting the familiar on its leafy head. It chirped in response before disappearing in a puff of white smoke.

Bon and Shima watched in shock as Izumo merely flicked a violet ponytail over her shoulder. "That's your familiar?" She questioned, revealing two slips of paper.

The blonde nodded, watching as the woman bit her thumb, letting the blood drip onto the papers. Immediately, two white byakko emerged, both equally annoyed with their tamer.

"I see no quarrel; why have you called for us, little girl?"

"Yes, we are not your toys, child."

Their words caused her cheeks to redden as she cursed at them, ripping away the papers. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked towards Shiemi, frowning. "Those were my familiars, Mike and Uke. Unlike your familiar, they know to only come to my aid in times of battle."

Instead of feeling insulted, a surge of excitement filled the blonde. If someone like her could be cool and accepted by others despite being a tamer, then maybe she too had a chance. Without thinking, Shiemi ran forward, clasping Izumo's hands.

"I-I understand! I'll try my best to make sure I don't call my familiar for frivolous reasons. Thank you, Kamiki-san!"

The purple-haired girl wrestled her hands away, muttering about how odd the other tamer was. "That was an insult, idiot..."

Both boys gave knowing looks. They knew Izumo long enough to know this wasn't going to end particularly well. Shiro, who had enough of their games, barked out another order, motioning for the group to turn their attention to the terrain.

Peering into the distance, they all saw the four figures coming from the border of miasma. The demon kings had arrived.

The king of Time and Space whistled happily, only halting at the sight of a familiar silver-haired exorcist. While the group of demons were still a distance away, Mephisto's pace quickened, an eager smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, Shiro~! It's been so long since we've had a chat! How are you?" He came closer to the group of humans, arms up in a symbol of peace. The four young 'chosen' immediately backed away, exchanging looks of confusion and bewilderment.

A genuine grin broke across Shiro's face as he embraced his friend, patting him warmly on the back. "It sure has been a while. I'm doing fine; how's Gehenna?"

"Absolutely dreadful! Tell me, did you happen to bring any sweets? I've been craving them since the last time I was in Assiah."

The man sighed. "I didn't even know you were going to be one of the 'chosen' of the demons."

"But it was a two out of five chance! Fairly good odds, wouldn't you say? Besides, you know the keys are my invention." The demon pressed, eyeing the hand that was still in the exorcist's pocket.

Shiro eventually relented, revealing a wrapped bag of chocolates in his hand. "I brought them, just in case."

A look of absolute giddiness crossed his peridot eyes as he immediately opened the package, taking the candy and devouring it eagerly.

"Thank you, Shiro!" He gave a sweeping bow, holding the bag in his free hand.

The exorcist laughed, replying back casually, "It's no problem, for an old friend."

The three other demons had finally caught up, stopping to form a line beside the king of Time and Space. Amaimon looked at the bag with interest unlike the twins, pointing at it plainly before speaking, "Can I try one?"

Mephisto guarded the bag protectively, shooting his younger brother a glare. "Of course not!" He finished by pointing his nose up in an aristocratic manner and turning away.

Yukio and Rin exchanged nervous looks. It wasn't unusual for the two brothers to argue; honestly, it would be more worrisome if they hadn't. What they were really worried about was how the mansion would handle their disputes. Even for the pettiest of slights, the two would wreck the surrounding area until either Satan appeared to break up the fight (which, fortunately, wasn't often) or Amaimon ended up in Mephisto's cuckoo clock.

Noticing that the four demons were finally in attendance, Shiro cleared his throat, a serious expression once again returning to his face. He immediately swiped the bag from his friend. Mephisto gaped as he took one of the chocolates and handed it to Amaimon, returning the bag to the flabbergasted demon king. The green-haired man gave a few extra blinks (his version of a thank-you) before eating the candy in a single bite.

"…It's good." He mumbled, mouth full.

"B-but…" Mephisto spluttered, eyes wide with surprise.

"No fighting. That's the first rule of the 'coexistence phase.' I'm sure it was decided on to keep the humans and demons from killing each other, but I'm not going to have you two tearing up the place, even if you did make the mansion."

"H-hey, what's with you and curly-cue?" Bon questioned, eyes narrowed in rage. Shima nodded in agreement. The other humans had been watching the events unfold with curiosity and confusion, until the two males finally snapped. Shiro blinked, adjusting his glasses.

"What do you mean? He's an old friend. I met him a couple decades ago, when I was still a young, springy exorcist on the front lines."

"Then why isn't he dead?!" They yelled simultaneously.

"Well, that's because I'm _very _persuasive~!" Mephisto replied, flashing a sharp grin.

"He means he threw me into his pocket dimension in the form of a cuckoo clock. And since the stupid clown _loves _mind games, he left me only a chess set in there. I ended up playing chess with myself for hours."

"Until I decided to play a round~!" Mephisto interjected happily, chuckling as if it were an amusing memory. And to him, it probably was.

"I lost. A lot. But he definitely cheated."

"Wait, so how did you become _friends_? He basically imprisoned you!" Bon growled, still in shock from the two's apparently very amiable relationship.

Both friends looked at each other and laughed, nearly doubling over. The humans became even more confused as the other demons merely shrugged; the twins had long since stopped trying to understand Mephisto. Amaimon eyed the two laughing men with interest, if only because he hoped that the white-haired exorcist would give him more candy.

Shiro was the first to recover, wiping a tear from his eye. "Yes, he imprisoned me. He didn't _kill _me, though. I had heard that demon kings were especially ruthless, but the worst form of torture was the first few days, when all I had to entertain myself was a chess set. Which was funny considering I attacked him first. Anyway, after a few days he added more amenities and soon, it became better than actually fighting in the war."

"He makes surprisingly good company~!" Mephisto added, turning to the four 'chosen.'

"Now that we've had our reunion, I think it is about time we," he motioned to the rest of the demon kings, "introduce ourselves. I'll start. I go by Mephisto Pheles. I am the second strongest demon king. My domain is over Space and Time. It's a pleasure to meet all of you~!" He then nudged Amaimon who looked to be staring off into space.

The green-haired demon blinked, holding up a hand in a languid wave. He spoke without inflection, an apathetic tinge to his words, "I'm Amaimon, King of Earth. I rank seventh in the hierarchy of Gehenna. I don't want to be here because I'm not allowed to 'play' with anyone. Nice to meet you... I guess." He shrugged, biting at his long, darkened nails as he stared at the 'chosen.'

"O-oh, is it my turn?" The dark-haired boy asked, rocking on the balls of his feet. He seemed particularly excited, bringing an arm around his brother. "I'm Rin Okumura! I rank tenth in the hierarchy despite being the only one to inherit the old man's flames. I don't really have a domain—yet, anyway! Nice to meet ya!"

His brown-haired twin adjusted his glasses, giving a curt, polite bow. "I am Yukio Okumura. I rank ninth in the hierarchy. I did not inherit Satan flames, but I did inherit his prowess in battle. I am the head strategist for the armies of Gehenna. I have no domain, nor do I want one. I hope that despite our… history, we can all get along."

Shiemi was the only one out of the humans to return the bow, a bright, happy smile on her face. The demons didn't seem all that bad; she was glad! Eager to give a good impression, the blonde shook each demon's hand. Mephisto gave an amused grin at this and shook back, purple gloves smooth and cold. Amaimon surprisingly shook back as well, holding her hand gently enough that his long nails did not puncture her soft skin. Rin was more than eager to return the handshake, going as far as embracing the girl. She blushed deeply before moving on to Yukio, who politely declined a handshake, also worried for his sharp nails.

"I would hate to hurt you." He said sweetly, a cherubic smile on his face. Rin snorted at this; his brother always knew how to play the perfect gentleman…

"O-okay. Uh, I'm Shiemi Moriyama and I love gardening. I'm also a tamer, with a greenman as a familiar. I hope we can all be friends." She bowed, not noticing the shift in atmosphere. The once amiable air turned dark as the demons tensed. Shiro noticed this and pulled Shiemi back by the collar of her kimono.

"For many demons, tamers are perceived as the greatest threat. You shouldn't have told them so soon."

"So, is your familiar in chains? Or do you pretend to be humane and only summon your familiar when needed and cast it back to Gehenna when you don't need its services? Well? Which one is it?!" Rin spat, obviously the most affected by Shiemi's statement. Flames swirled like horns around his head as his brother put a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Nii-san, you need to calm down—"

"Shut up! You weren't there to see what they did to Kuro!" He growled, slapping his brother's hand away.

Putting a brave face, the blonde spoke again, voice wavering, "N-neither. I allow Nee-chan to come and go as he pleases. He's my best friend! There's no way I'd hurt him!"

"Right! Like I haven't heard that before. I'm fine with most humans, but I will _not_ be nice to a tamer!"

"Then we're going to have a problem. I am also a tamer." Izumo spoke up, standing beside the shaking blonde. She glared at the girl, running a hand through her hair.

"I'm not doing this for you. I just want this stupid treaty to work so I won't be made fun of for being able to summon demons anymore."

She turned to the four demon kings, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm Izumo Kamiki. I am also a tamer. My familiars are two byakkos named Uke and Mike. I treat them with respect and admiration. At any time they are allowed to break the contract and leave, but they stay. So don't go and generalize all tamers as evil and I won't do the same for demons, alright?"

Rin wanted to retort, but found himself with nothing to say. Gritting his teeth, he muttered out a "Fine…" before stalking towards the mansion. He disappeared into the giant building, a slew of curses slipping from his tongue. The white door slammed loudly behind him.

"Nii-san, wait!" Yukio called after him, also running into the immaculate mansion for his brother.

Amaimon remained unflinching, cerulean orbs boring into the group. "I don't care what you do to your familiar. Okumura is just especially sensitive about it for some reason." He finished, leaving the group to also enter the mansion.

Mephisto frowned, tipping his hat. "Well, this certainly got unpleasant, hmm? I believe that Shiro wouldn't pick people who abused demons, so for now, we are on equal terms. However, if I see a hint of cruelty _I will not be kind_. Anyway, I'll see you all in the house~!" His tone became chipper again as he shook Shiro's hand a final time, skipping off into the house of his own creation.

The humans were left alone, all with varying degrees of fear on their faces. Shima muttered something about the kings being drama queens before Bon exclaimed out loud, "Wait, we didn't even get to introduce ourselves!"

_It was going to be an interesting four months, indeed…_

* * *

A/N: Yay for quick updates :P This was more of a transition chapter but next chap the real stuff begins XD As usual, I want to thank those who have given my story a chance! You guys are awesome! Oh, and if it isn't obvious from the last line, the group must live together in the mansion four months for the treaty to be considered a success (and ya know, that all the beginning participants are alive) ^^

Review?

-Isis


	3. Chapter 3- The Devils You Know

Chapter 3- The Devils You Know

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The demons and humans sat at the long dining table with the paladin taking the head seat. Mephisto sat closest to Shiro on his right, with Amaimon beside him and begrudgingly, an annoyed Rin also on the same side of table. Yukio sat beside Rin and was the only demon who took the time to flash all the humans on the opposite side a smile (although, how genuine was anyone's guess).

Shiemi sat closest to Shiro on the left side of the table with Bon beside her, fidgeting with the hem of her kimono sleeve. Shima sat in between Bon and Izumo, whistling a little tune as the food magically appeared on the table in a puff of smoke. The pink-haired youth immediately stopped whistling, eyes widening comically as he almost fell out of his seat in surprise.

The chosen looked at each other nervously. Shiro stifled a laugh, doing his best to keep his serious exorcist persona intact. He shot Mephisto a glare.

"I was preparing something in the kitchen, you know." He muttered, remembering just then that the water was probably boiling by now. Cursing, the silver-haired paladin excused himself from the table, not bothering to push his chair in. Mephisto saw this and huffed, snapping his fingers. The chair tucked itself, legs screeching against the wooden floor.

He then turned his attention to the humans, who were currently watching Amaimon stuff his face unabashed. With an annoyed sigh, the purple-haired man placed a hand on the impatient demon's shoulder, peridot eyes narrowing.

"Mind your manners, Amaimon! Look, the children are so off-put by your voracious appetite that they haven't touched a thing I've prepared!" He complained, motioning to the silent humans. They all looked to be in some stage of nausea, seeing that Amaimon's mannerisms did not include eating around the bones but... crunching on them. And eating them whole.

Shiemi was the first one to snap out of her sickened stupor. "Ah, it's alright, Pheles-san! We were just... uh, surprised?" She finished meekly, making the statement sound more like a question.

"Put a chain on that animal, why don't you..." Bon muttered, earning him a sharp glare from the green-haired demon king.

"Aniue, can I break his face?"

"No!"

"Can I break his nose?" He asked again, more hopeful this time.

"No, you can't harm any of them! Remember?"

The king nodded, his normal apathetic expression returning to his face. Eventually, he spoke again, more to himself than anyone else, "I guess breaking his arm's out of the question, then..."

At that moment Shiro returned, a frown twisting his features. He took his seat wordlessly, crimson eyes scanning both sides of the table. To his relief, no one had lost any appendages during his absence.

Mephisto grinned, knowing just what to say to provoke a reaction out of the exorcist. "Let me guess, you burned the water~?"

There was a three-second silence before the paladin picked up his knife, chucking it towards the demon king without warning. It missed his cheek by a centimeter, causing a fit of laughter to erupt from Amaimon, Rin, and Shima. For the first time, there was a genuine look of shock on Mephisto's face as he turned around, noticing that the knife had wedged itself handle-deep into the wall behind him.

"Oh, my apologies. It appears that my hand slipped." Shiro mocked.

Rin continued to laugh as Mephisto crossed his arms indignantly. "Maybe my hands will _slip_ and I'll put you in that cuckoo clock... without a chess set!" He added quickly.

The blue-haired king interjected easily, "Can we eat now? Amaimon's already eaten half the dining table."

Sure enough, the greedy demon was already on his fourth plate, ignoring everyone in favor of the bread rolls. Rin's suggestion kick-started the humans' brains as they reluctantly followed the demon's words, each taking a few servings before the green-haired king could get his claws on it.

Shima had the unfortunate luck of grabbing the same bread roll as Amaimon, both holding onto opposite sides of the bread. Neither looked ready to let go.

"Drop it..." The king said seriously, cerulean orbs narrowing.

"You first." Shima gulped, doing his best to not look away in fear.

"For fuck's sake, it's just a bread roll!" Bon yelled, picking up his own knife. Mephisto looked at the boy worriedly, putting up both hands as a sign of peace.

"Suguro-kun, was it? Let's keep this dinner peaceful—"

Ignoring the purple-haired demon's words, Bon reached over the table, bringing the knife down between Shima and Amaimon's hands.

"There! Now shut up and eat!" Bon barked, sitting back down. Both men looked at their hands which contained half of the original bread before giving equal glares.

Yukio, who had been observing the dining fiasco with slight amusement, finally spoke. "Well, we're going to be living with each other for some time so we might as well get to know each other better." He explained, adjusting his glasses.

Mephisto chuckled, "That's a splendid idea, Yukio~! And here I thought you were such a killjoy! I actually have a wonderful idea on how we can all get to know each other better~!"

The other demons and Shiro groaned in unison. The King of Time and Space ignored their reactions, setting his now empty plate aside.

"I've heard of a human game called twenty questions! I've made some adjustments, of course, but it's simple!"

"Do we just ask each other twenty questions? That sounds boring." Rin observed, crinkling his nose at the prospect of playing ten rounds of the game. Mephisto quickly shook his head.

"Nope! It's like twenty questions, but... different. I'll start! Let's see... Shiro, I get to ask you a question first and you must answer truthfully."

"And if I don't?"

"The cuckoo-clock threat still stands."

Shiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could already feel a headache coming. "Fine. Just don't be an idiot—"

"Would you rather make a contract with me or be eaten by a swarm of hobgoblins?"

"...That wasn't a serious question at all." Shiro deadpanned, crossing his arms.

The king chuckled, propping up his head with his palm. "Of course not! We've got to start with friendly questions first or no one's going to answer truthfully or feel comfortable answering personal questions."

The paladin sighed. "Well, considering you'd take my soul and probably make my life a living hell, I'd have to pick a quick death by the hands of a hundred hobgoblins. It's my turn now, right?"

Mephisto nodded. "Yep~! Try to pick someone you don't know much about! Oh, and you can't pick the person who asked you a question!"

Shiro scanned the table, eyes settling on the blue-haired demon. "Rin Okumura, was it? What do you think of your father?"

The king who was just taking a sip of his drink nearly choked, spraying water across the white table cloth as Yukio patted his back in an attempt to help the startled demon. His cobalt eyes were comically wide as he looked accusingly at Mephisto.

"I thought you said to ask funny or dumb questions! What the hell is this?!"

"I did! Shiro-kun just didn't want to listen to me." He pouted before his eyes lightened mischievously. "Now come on, you have to answer, Rin~!"

The demon muttered something unintelligible under his breath but responded accordingly, feeling a bit cheated that he was the first one who had to offer up something personal. "To put it simply: I fucking hate him. Blondie, it's your turn. Can I see your summon?"

Shiemi, startled by his sudden declaration, ducked her head down. "U-uhm, I guess so. Nee-chan, you can come out now."

A happy squeak followed as the baby greenman appeared, walking across the blonde's shoulder to rub her cheek. Shiemi laughed, using her index finger to rub its chin gently. Another pleased chirp followed.

"A greenman… that's a demon under your domain, isn't it?" Yukio questioned, turning to Amaimon.

The green-haired demon king shrugged. "I guess so…"

Rin spoke suddenly, "Can you translate what the familiar's saying? I'd like to know if it likes hanging around her or if it's there out of servitude."

Shiemi had to bite her tongue to keep from speaking her mind, that Nee-chan was more than a tool or demon to her; that he was her closest friend. But, knowing that it wouldn't appease the blue-haired man, the blonde guided the greenman onto the table, pointing towards Amaimon.

"He's Amaimon, the King of Earth. He's like your… leader or something. Anyway, he wants to ask you some questions, alright?"

The greenman chirped in response, shyly turning to the green-haired demon. Amaimon began to speak, the demon language flowing easily from his tongue. The conversation lasted about a minute before the greenman ran back to Shiemi, burying itself into her golden locks.

"The greenman, while infantile, thinks highly of her. She's kind, lets him rest in her hair, and even gives him herbs to eat. He does not want to go back to Gehenna, which is why their contract is not on summoning papers; he is with her by his own free will." Amaimon explained, chewing on one of his darkened nails.

Rin looked angry at first, but sighed before abruptly standing up. With a serious expression on his face, he held out a hand. "I'm sorry for just assuming all tamers were monsters. I-I… I've just seen a lot, okay? Still, it was dumb of me to attack you like that before and, well," Rin paused, nervously rubbing the back of his head, "I hope we can still be friends."

A bright smile flitted onto the blonde's face as she shook the demon's hand. "I'd like that too, Rin."

Shiro coughed, causing the pair to automatically let go of each other's hands. "Now that we've got that out of the way… It's your turn, Shiemi. Pick someone who hasn't gone yet."

She nodded, studying Mephisto, Amaimon, and Yukio. "Uh, Amaimon, what do you like to do in your spare time?"

The demon put a finger to his chin, looking upwards. "…I like eating. And killing things. That's about it, I guess." He replied honestly, looking towards the silent purple-haired girl.

"Pigtails," Amaimon called, earning him a glare from the woman. "Have you ever killed anything?"

"W-what type of question is that?" She retorted, angrily flicking a pigtail behind her shoulder. "And my name is Izumo Kamiki, not _Pigtails_!"

"I would have just called you eyebrows…" Rin muttered as the whole table erupted into laughter.

"S-shut up! Anyway, for your information, I don't go around killing things. I accidentally killed a frog once when I ran it over with my bike, but other than that I can't think of anything else."

She then turned to Mephisto. "Why do you dress like a clown?"

This earned a chuckle from Shiro. "Yes, Mephisto. Why don't you explain your wardrobe? It's something I'd like to know."

The demon responded smoothly, "Well, this is all a charade, after all. We are all actors playing on some grand stage. I just want to look the part~!" He grinned, turning his attention to Bon.

"Suguro-kun, I'd like to know just what you think of demons."

"Wait, didn't Mephisto already get to ask a question?" Shima spoke, looking at his friend's shaking hands.

"I did, but I rigged the game so I'd get to ask two questions~"

Bon stood up, an angry retort coming from his tongue, "I fucking hate them. Satan burnt my entire home down! Killed hundreds of people! There's no way I could think that demons of any kind could be anything more than monsters." He stalked out of the dining room, with a worried Shima trailing closely behind.

The table elapsed into silence before Shiro cleared his throat, crimson eyes observing the scene. "It's about time to go to our rooms to rest. I'll look for the kids; everyone else can pick any room they want, since I imagine Mephisto made enough rooms to fit an entire army."

"Hehehe, something like that~!" He grinned wider, peridot eyes narrowed in amusement.

Wordlessly, the group left the room, the demons subconsciously drifting to the west wing of the mansion while the humans took to the right wing.

* * *

A silent figure swept into the paladin's room, stopping to rest against the plain white wall. Shiro adjusted his glasses, letting out a sigh.

"What do you want, Mephisto? It's late. I'm going to leave tomorrow morning to report to the Vatican and—"

"So you'll spare no time for an old friend? I'm hurt, Shiro-kun!" He mock cried, bringing a hand over his eyes theatrically.

Shiro snorted, not even turning to look at the man, continuing to write his report. "I can spare a few minutes, I suppose. I meant to ask about dinner, anyway."

The demon blinked. "What about it? Was it not to your liking?"

"It's not that. You said you hadn't had any sweets, but you knew how to prepare an entire human meal. Isn't that a bit… odd?"

Mephisto did not respond immediately, the grin he had on his face slipping to a frown. "You should be careful, Shiro. It's better not to think about such trivialities. Anyway, did you find Suguro and Renzou?"

Shiro nodded, grunting. "Yah, they were in the garden. Why did you provoke him like that? It was obvious that he didn't have a good opinion on demons."

But the clown was already gone, his laugh the only sign he had been in the room at all. The chuckle brought a worried frown to the paladin's face as he put down his pen, leaning against his chair to look up at the ceiling with tired eyes.

His worst fears had come to light; even Mephisto, the one demon he considered a true friend, had an agenda other than peace and coexistence in mind. He just hoped it didn't correlate to whatever Satan wanted.

Just as Shiro felt the spindles of sleep tugging at his mind, there was a sudden high-pitched scream that ended with a muffled thud.

* * *

A

A/N: So. Much. Dialogue. Sorry guys about taking so long w/ this update; I hope it was amusing, at the very least. And poor Shima and Yukio, they didn't get to ask any questions XD Looks like while one relationship has been repaired, two others are straining. Next chap should be a lot more action and a lot less dialogue.

_**Review?**_

-Isis

P.S. I almost forgot! As for pairings in this fic, I'm trying to keep the story without it and focus more on friendships than anything else. But, we'll see XD The group has to get along first before anything else can happen!


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